Reader Comments and Retorts

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

I am enthusiastically in unless it conflicts with a wedding or work trip. Let me know how I can help once we settle in on a day. I've already had the two people I brought last year say they wanted back in, and a couple of others complained that I didn't invite them.

And despite what I put in the tags, this event is always a lot of fun. Last year will be tough to top, what with SABR / softball crossover, a couple of random people from Australia wandering through and joining in despite not really knowing the rules, and a fully-functioning Howie Menckel. Hopefully by now he's recovered.

I was going to say that running jokes on the site sometimes carry over to the game, but then I thought that one of the teams this year should be called the Running Jokes. Maybe both teams. We're good for at least one face-plant per year.

I had my turn in the barrel in my 2013 debut.
wait, what's that - there's no rule against repeating?

there was a good one last year, though!

my mistakes last year included not even bringing a glove thus having to play the field with a right-handed mitt (no lefty mitts), not having thrown a ball in years with inevitably pitiful results, and - worst of all - a bad habit of getting on base way too often. this means you're supposed to run and - well, I improved from about a 1 to a 2 last year (on a scale of 1,000).

I have a family wedding Aug. 4 - wait, that might lure you guys TOWARD that date.
maybe I'm bluffing. who's to know?

Super, at last, something to look forward to. Don't have any definite plans for the summer after we return from holiday in mid-June, but there are a couple of semi-important family events likely to occur (40th wedding anniversary, birth of 1st grandchild) which may catch me out of town.

I'm always curious to see what will be the most common name in the group. One year we had 4 or 5 Daves, another there were 4 or 5 Mikes, I think we even had a year with 3 Seans, which was a bit of a surprise.

Those who aren't in training, get started now, you wanna be able to keep up. Those who are in training, slow down, don't wanna leave it all in the gym.

Have no fear, I will discuss the softball game with Shooty in the coming days.

Indeed, Shooty and I will meet in a few days. I don't mind looking at the 30th of June or 7th of July but, thinking about the demand for fields and travel costs for those who don't live in the tri-state area, maybe 28 July or 11, 18, 25 August would work better?

Thanks for the update, JE. Whenever you have more details just post it here (or get Shooty to post it!) and I'll add it to the header.

And make sure he keeps us in the loop as things develop. Last year they didn't lock it in and send Shooty the permit until I called the parks dept. and impersonated Shooty to get them to do it, only a few weeks before the date. I don't want to have to partake in identity theft this year.

JE/villageidiom (and by extension Shooty) - let me know if you guys need any help - I booked a couple of fields last year (not that the system is all that hard) - but throwing my hat in the ring to help if needed.

Sorry for the radio silence, fellas. Some of you know that I was recently robbed of my briefcase, which included my laptop and whole life story, while riding into Paris and the past several days have been focused on tracking down hundreds of files and changing passwords. I will apply for the permit later this week. Are we still agreed that the 11th of August is our first choice, the 18th as the back-up>?

Sorry for the radio silence, fellas. Some of you know that I was recently robbed of my briefcase, which included my laptop and whole life story, while riding into Paris and the past several days have been focused on tracking down hundreds of files and changing passwords.

Sorry for the radio silence, fellas. Some of you know that I was recently robbed of my briefcase, which included my laptop and whole life story, while riding into Paris and the past several days have been focused on tracking down hundreds of files and changing passwords.

My sympathies, my man. I'm assuming this was the work of a Muslim terrorist. (smile)

Right now in the reservation system there are a lot of fields available on the 11th for a 2-3 hour block. I'll update the top of the thread to put that as the date. Hopefully you'll hear back in the next few weeks with a confirmation and I can update it with the field and time block once you know them.

Right now in the reservation system there are a lot of fields available on the 11th for a 2-3 hour block. I'll update the top of the thread to put that as the date. Hopefully you'll hear back in the next few weeks with a confirmation and I can update it with the field and time block once you know them.

No worries.

Just so you know, I asked for a four-hour window, 10am-2pm, figuring that some folks arrive late or maybe the field will be a bit wet and need a little manicuring before the first game starts.

Good closing concerts that weekend at Mostly Mozart, BTW. Including a massive piece in the very park itself at 3pm that's... probably hippie crap, but who knows, might be cool. Simon Halsey who's rehearsing the choirs is world-class.

I will reiterate my previous observations that those who might fear there would be bloodshed at a BBTF softball game need not fret.

I have attended the last four (once on the DL, though) - and not only are the games comically amusing and enjoyable, the post-game is arguably even better.

I have yet to meet a disagreeable BBTF softballer - and some of them are among the most active and (depending on your political inclination) volatile posters. I also don't know of anyone who has regretted making the effort to attend.

We had a mashup (is that right?) with SABR at last year's game, and that also went really well. My OF mate Sean Forman (a delight, but that's no surprise) told me later he hoped to attend this year's game, too*, so I think we even passed that audition.

I have yet to meet a disagreeable BBTF softballer - and some of them are among the most active and (depending on your political inclination) volatile posters. I also don't know of anyone who has regretted making the effort to attend.

I regretted the next morning the last time I went. With all the merriment I forgot to eat any lunch or dinner.

FWIW, as of now there are openings for Great Lawn #2, 3, and 7, and Heckscher #3, for August 11 and the full time range that JE requested. Hence the assumption that we're in.

NYC has a priority system for booking this stuff, and we're probably at the bottom of that system. But I think all the higher-priority groups are on the schedule already, which means it's probably just a matter of them dealing with the other requests received ahead of us. So it all comes down to how many groups were dumb enough to want to play softball in mid-August heat, and applied before us.

NYC has a priority system for booking this stuff, and we're probably at the bottom of that system. But I think all the higher-priority groups are on the schedule already

I believe they start taking reservations in November for the following spring/summer. Obviously, the only people booking that far ahead are leagues that have an actual, you know, schedule. So my guess is that if there are still 4 fields completely free for our date and time, the Magic 8 Ball would come up "Signs point to Yes."

Daughter-in-law is on the cusp of entering her 3rd trimester (not sure if it was this week or next), so still not positive I won't be down in Maryland being live-in help. But there are plenty of cheap buses between Ballmer and NYC, and I'm sure they'll be able to do without grandpappy for a couple of days.

BTW I applied for a field June 2017 for September 2017. Still waiting to hear.

I think their approach is now "wait until someone calls to check on the status, and then deal with it". Last year we waited a long time with no response, until I pretended to be Shooty and called to check on the status. It was issued moments later.

Hey, while you're bumping the thread... Can you reach out to the Manhattan sports permit office at (212) 408-0234 to check on the status of the permit? Some folks upthread were trying to book travel plans.

Hey, while you're bumping the thread... Can you reach out to the Manhattan sports permit office at (212) 408-0234 to check on the status of the permit? Some folks upthread were trying to book travel plans.

Hey! I am 50/50 for that weekend unfortunately. Will let you know. But if I am not away, I will definitely play!

I was also thinking about this last night and thought it might be a good idea to have a little meet-up the week beforehand with people who are in the area. The game is always wonderful and so is happy hour afterwards, but I always feel like I am working so hard to catch up with people. If anyone wanted to meet the week before to shoot the #### and catch up I think it would make the game even more fun! Just a thought.

I would be up for a local guys meet-up. Weekend of the 4th likely won't work for me (40th wedding anniversary, might be expected to spend with the mrs), but later in the month, or in a later month, would be good. There are at least a few of us who can make it to the city without paying air fare or needing a hotel.

I live in the city so would generally be down for a meetup, although I am out of town the weekend of 8/4. After work on a weekday is probably easier for me than a weekend -- and I think you're more likely to get the suburban commuter crowd that way (although I don't want to speak for them).

It IS online, snapper. The challenge is that receiving an answer in a timeframe better suited for our out-of-town participants like Chicago Joe requires one to feverishly ring the office like you're trying to win concert tickets from a radio station.

It IS online, snapper. The challenge is that receiving an answer in a timeframe better suited for our out-of-town participants like Chicago Joe requires one to feverishly ring the office like you're trying to win concert tickets from a radio station.

That doesn't sound online to me.

If it was a real online system, it would show what fields were open, on what day, and allocate a field to you right then and there. Like ordering tickets to a ball game.